Maximum Ride: The Next Chapter
by Esmeralda Ride
Summary: Here's a sneak peak "Fang!" I stopped as I heard her call me name. Slowly I turned around to face her. You can't do this. You can't leave me again!You promised" I looked at her intently, taking her in" "Tell the kids I love them" And then I was gone
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! Yeah, so one question… Did everyone like bawl their eyes out when they read Fang, or was it just me? So this is set a few months after Fang.. Now sure what's gonna happen yet so… Here goes nothing. OK I know it's really short but it's lke midnight and I'm kinda tired…**

**Fang P.O.V.**

_Why the hell am I so stupid?_ I asked myself or the hundredth time. It's been almost three months since I left Max, and the rest of the Flock. I want nothing more than to be with them. With her. Instead here I was sitting in a stupid library in Colorado. And Max, well she was hundreds of miles away. God, I missed her. I glanced down at the news story flashing on my computer screen.

_**Bird-kids Spotted Once Again!**_

_Recently we had the opportunity to sit down with the miraculous Bird-children themselves._

_Q: So Max, here you are in New York. What are you guys doing here? How are you liking it here?_

_A: Well, New York has always been one our favorite places to visit. We are actually here just to hang out for a while. Gotta love those honey roasted peanuts!_

I stopped reading for a moment and chuckled. She did love those honey roasted peanuts.

_Q: Hey, no one could disagree with you there! Those peanuts are like a little piece of heaven! Now I've noticed that there's a member of your family missing.. Fang, is it?"_

_A: Yeah, he isn't here right now. Sadly, he couldn't make it here today. We all miss having him here. I can't wait to meet up with him again later._

_Q: So where is Fang today?_

_A: At the moment I'm not quite sure. But I'll be going to find him after this. He decided to go on a flight this morning and is meeting up with us after. You know the place Fang! We need you to meet us there!_

I tore my eyes away from the screen. I closed my eyes for a moment and then looked back at the screen where a picture of Max was looking at me. She was smiling, but I could see the look in her eyes. It was a look that I hated seeing from her. Desperation, sadness, and pain, all mixed into one look that was all Max. She was asking me to meet her. At the hawks cave. She wanted me to do something that I swore to myself and her that I wouldn't do for 20 years.

And was I going to do it?

_Hell yeah_ I thought as I grabbed my pack-back and ran out of the library I was sitting in.

**Max P.O.V.**

I looked around at my Flock flying around me. After the interview last night we'd left New York and started to fly towards the place I was going to meet Fang at.

_Max? _Angel's small voice filled my head. _What if he doesn't come? What if he doesn't see the interview?_

I looked over to where she was flying next to Dylan.

"He will, Ange. Trust me, I still know him better than anyone. He'll be waiting for news about us. He'll be there."

"News about you, you mean." Iggy muttered.

I turned on him and glared. Another look wasted on Iggy. "You guys hungry?" I asked them.

Everyone nodded and Nudge let out a, "Oh, thank God!"

We stopped at the next town we saw. It was somewhere in Indiana. We walked into McDonalds and ordered a helluva lot of food. We ate then walked over to a park so the kids could rest for a while.

"Ig!" I called, and he walked over to me reluctantly. "OK, so what's your problem?"

"Really, Max? Fang's only coming for you. He doesn't give a crap what happens to the rest of us."

I stepped back slightly, appalled at his words. "How can you say that, Iggy? Fang loves all of us, not just me."

Iggy snorted. "Yeah, and I'm the Easter Bunny! The kids have gotten over for the most part Max, but it's not gonna be that easy with me. You're gonna have to prove it to me, because I'm not buying it."

"You're right, Iggy. We were terrible and didn't pay enough attention when we were together. But that didn't mean we don't love you guys. I love Fang with everything I have. But I love you guys with everything I have too. Those are two completely different kinds of love Iggy, same with Fang. If and when he comes back, things _will_ be different. I don't plan on stopping loving him, but I'm not gonna make the same mistakes twice Ig. You are all my family. I can't live without you guys." He looked in my general direction for a moment.

He nodded. "Yeah, OK Max. I trust you. Because that crap hurt, Max, me and the kids both." I walked forward and hugged him slightly. We walked back over to the kids and sat down. Iggy got up after a few minutes and went to play with them, but I stayed sitting down watching them.

Dylan came over and sat down next to me after a while. "You alright, Max?"

"Just stop, Dylan. I'm not dealing with you right now."

He looked hurt for a moment. "It's not my fault, you know. I was programmed to love you. I didn't have a choice in this."

I nodded. Yeah, my words were harsh, but I didn't have the energy to deal with him at the moment.

"You're right, it's not. But that doesn't change everything. I don't love you, Dylan. You are not my perfect other half. That has always been, and will always be Fang." I stood up and left him sitting there.

"Ready to head out again, guys? We need to get to the cave by tomorrow, I think he might be there by then… " I called.

10 minutes later we were back in the air heading to the hawk's cave.

**Fang P.O.V.**

I flew all night, and didn't stop until I found a town near the cave. I into a Wendy's and ordered three burgers, two fries, and a coke. I carried my food out and walked around back before taking off again and going to the cave. If they left New York the day the interview was taken then they should be here sometime tomorrow. Now, all I could do was wait.


	2. Chapter 2

**OK, so I own nothing! James Patterson owns everything in this but my plot. This world and the characters belong to him, and no one else.**

**Max P.O.V.**

I sat up slowly, so I wouldn't fall out of the tree I was currently in. I don't get it I rolled out of bed hundreds of time when I was younger, but never out of a tree. Of course, Fang usually had something to do with me falling out of bed. He normally pushed me off my bed. I smiled softly as I though back to the last time I saw him.

_God, he hated wearing that suit… But he sure looked good in it…_ I looked around at my sleeping Flock and Dylan. Slowly I pulled out Fang's note. I read over the very first part of it with a sad smile.

_He thinks I'm beautiful…_ I thought.

I took a deep breath and skipped over the park about him leaving. I couldn't read that again.

_And he loves me. How can he have left if he loves me? _I leaned my head back against the tree as I kept reading. I smiled and thought back on memories of Fang. I laughed softly when I remembered trying to make dinner when Jeb left.

_**Max's memory**_

"_Fang, come on, come here. Please, I need to know if it tastes good!" Fang walked back into the kitchen and sat down at the table._

"_Fine, but if you poison me, I'll haunt you forever, Max," he told me sitting down._

"_Mac and Cheese," I said grinning. I sat a bowl down in front of him proudly. _

_He took a big bite and then spit it out gagging._

"_Ugh, what did you put in it!?" he asked trying to spit every last piece out of his mouth. I looked at him, totally offended._

"_You butthead!" I exclaimed dumping the remainder of the pot on his head. _

_He laughed before scooping some off his head and threw it at me. We both laughed as I pulled pieces of it out of my hair. _

_At three that morning I snuck into Fang's room. I moved right next to his bed, and jumped on him laughing._

"_AHH!" he exclaimed falling out of bed._

_I rolled around on his bed laughing as he shook his head and looked at me. He slowly stood up, glaring._

"_You are so gonna pay for that, Max," he said sitting back down on his bed. I kept laughing, until he poked me in the side._

"_Hey!" I said scooting away from him laughing. He chuckled and kept poking me until I got up._

"_Night, Fang," I said as I walked to his door._

"_Night, Max."_

_**End**_

"Max?" I quickly tucked the note away and looked up to see Nudge staring at me.

"Yeah, sweetie?" I asked.

"Are you OK? You're crying…" I lifted my hand to my face to find I was crying.

"Yeah, I'm OK, Nudge." She jumped down from her branch and landed on mine lightly.

"It's OK to miss him and want him back, Max. I know you love Fang. And it's OK to cry about him leaving, we all cried. But you can't forget about us in the process." I looked at her in wonder.

"When did you get so old?" I asked as I pulled her to me for a hug.

She grinned sheepishly. "I don't know… A lot's happened lately."

I smiled. "You're right, a lot has happened. And I promise you we will be better. No more running off together, and I'll focus on everything, not just Fang."

She shook her head. "That's not what I want! You should be able to just run off together, and focus on Fang. You love him. But you have to be able to focus on all of us together, not just one at a time…" She looked over at me.

"You are completely right, Nudge. It's all about balance, right kid?" We laughed and then I looked around at everyone. "OK everyone! Up and at 'em! We've got another couple hundred miles to go! We should make it there around lunchtime, if we get going now." Slowly but surely Iggy, Gazzy, Angel, and Dylan sat up and looked around.

"Max, I'm hungry!" Gazzy said as he shook his hair out of his eyes.

"OK, how about we try and find an IHop? Then we get flying!"

Turns out the little buggers knew there was an IHop in the next town over. After we finished breakfast we were back in the air. It was about three by the time we got to the cave.

"Circle around, guys. I'm gonna make sure it's safe." I swopped down and glided into the cave, my feet skidding on the ground. I looked around quickly, seeing nothing but some garbage in the back of the cave. It was a Wendy's bag.

I smiled to myself. He was here. He had come here for us.

"Max!" Someone cried out from outside. I ran to the entrance and looked around expecting to see Erasers, instead I saw the reason we were here flying at us quickly.

My Flock looked at me, all grinning madly. I'll admit, I had a crazy grin on my face as well as my Flock flew into the cave to stand next to me. A few minutes later, Fang flew in and landed gracefully.

"Yo," he said. Then Angel and Nudge ran over to him and then he was leaning down to hug them and they were laughing and crying as he held them. Gazzy ran over and stood there silently until Fang pulled him into the hug. The kids let him go all grinning and looked at me where I was standing. Fang walked up to Iggy and stopped in front of him.

"Hey, man…" he said.

Iggy nodded. "Yeah," they both moved forward and embraced each other for a second. "Good to have you back, but you are so dead." Fang laughed out loud.

"Good, I had it coming." He looked over at Dylan and nodded slightly.

Finally he looked over at me and my heart beat sped up.

"Hey," I said softly. He moved towards me and then, get this, I threw myself at him and started bawling like a baby.

I really need to get my emotions in cheak.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I'm glad you like it so far! I got a request to stop changing P.O.V.s and don't worry, I will. I own nothing! **

**Max P.O.V**

Fang wrapped his arms around me and held me until I calmed down. He looked down at me with his amazing half-smile thing. That's when all the suppressed anger of him leaving caught up with me…

"I hate you! You stupid jerk face! I can't believe you left us again! You left me, with nothing but that stupid note! You promised to never leave again and then you leave!" I pushed him backwards and punched every part of him I could get to. He grabbed my hands and pulled me against him again.

"Max, I'm sorry. I was a jerk for doing this again and I was wrong, but I had to protect you guys."

"Yeah?" I said pushing myself away from him. "And how were you supposed to do that when you were nowhere near us? We come home to find out you left again! You almost died the last time you went off by yourself! Do you even care what we've been going through for the last three months, Fang?" I glared at him.

He looked straight at me. "Of course I care, Max. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. I've been going through the same things you have. Every day and night I saw you guys, thought I heard your voices or saw one of you guys in a crowd. It was hell, Max."

"Then why didn't you come back?" I said cursing myself as my voice broke.

"Because I knew you would leave as soon as you read the note, Max. You did didn't you?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but that's not the point, Fang. We missed you. We need you. And we really, really love you. You can't keep doing this, Fang."

He walked over to where I was standing among the Flock. "I'm sorry guys. I was a jerk and you all deserve better than what I've been. I was wrong. Can you guys forgive me?"

He looked around at the Flock. Angel stepped forward and hugged him. "I'm so sorry Fang!"

He hugged her back, "Don't tell me, Ange, you need to tell Max. She's the leader."

She turned to look at me. "I'm sorry, Max. I was wrong in some of the things I did, I don't think I'm ready to be a leader yet." I nodded.

"Guys, can I talk to Fang alone for a few minutes?" They nodded and jumped out to fly with the hawks.

"Fang, I missed so, so much. Do you know how bad it hurt to come home to you being gone?"

He came up to me and took my hand. "I love you, Max. I'm sorry I left again."

I nodded and went up on my tip toes to kiss him. "I love you too."

"Max! Fang!" I looked at Fang my eyes wide. We ran to the entrance to see Erasers coming at the Flock.

Because we all know the peace couldn't last.


	4. Chapter 4

**Max P.O.V.**

I looked over at Fang as we jumped into the air. He had a stone cold look on his face as he went after the first Eraser.

Angel was hovering in place making anything that came near her drop, she was so different than the little girl I once knew.

_Max, pay attention!_ I turned quickly and avoided a fist to the face. I kicked my leg out to the side and heard the Eraser gasp out.

"So, where did you come from this time?" I snarled and punched it in the snout.

It growled at me and lunged getting a good kick in my gut in the process. I chopped him on the shoulder as he tried to get behind me and laughed. "No, really, who let you guys out of your cage?" I smacked my hands over his ears and blew out his eardrums. "Leave my family alone!" I yelled as I pulled his wings together hard. He yelped and started to fall. I looked around quickly and saw Iggy pull a bomb out of his pocket and throw it into the mix after he yelled out to move. I felt chunks of the Erasers hit me as the bomb went off.

"Report!" I yelled as loud as I could.

"Fine, wrist hurts, but I'm fine," Nudge said flying out of the smoke.

Gazzy flew up next, coughing badly. "I'm OK."

"That was one for the books! The blast alone deserves an 8!" Iggy said flying up. "I'm fine."

I watched for another second and let out a sigh of relief as I saw Fang and Angel fly towards me, seemingly unhurt.

"We're ok, breathe Max," Fang said.

"OK, let's move. We need to get out of here now, we'll head to my mom's place for a few days."

Around midnight we were standing outside my mom's door. I looked over at Fang and he nodded. I knocked on the door loudly for a moment and then put my hand back into Fang's. A few minutes later we heard the lock click and the door opened slowly. I saw my mom's head poke out and I smiled at her.

"Hey, Mom."

"Max! Oh my goodness! What are you guys doing here? Fang!? You're here, too? Oh, my, come on in!" She ushered us all into the living room before pulling us to her one at a time and hugging us tightly. Somehow, she got me twice.

"Oh, what is that terrible smell?" She looked around us he eyes resting on Gassy.

"It wasn't me!" he exclaimed as we laughed. "Why do you guys always assume it's me?" I ruffled his hair.

"Because, it normally _is_ you Gasser." I grinned then looked at my mom. "Can we stay here for a few days, Mom?" I looked at her hopefully.

"Only if you all get showers right now," she said wrinkling her nose and laughing.

"Fair enough, Dr. M.," Fang said. She looked at him for a moment then smiled.

"Kids go on and get your showers; Nudge and Angel can use my bathroom. Boys upstairs you get the upstairs bathroom. Max, Fang can I talk to you?"

The kids ran off and Fang and me followed my mom into the kitchen. "What is going on here? It has been months, Max. Now you guys show up here at midnight covered in goodness knows what. And how long has Fang been with you? Do you know how worried I've been lately?"

I looked at my mom, my eyes wide. "I'm sorry. No, he just came back today. I didn't mean to worry you, Mom."

"Sorry, Dr. M."

She sighed. "I'm just so glad you are all safe. I didn't mean to yell at you. What's going to happen now?" She looked back and forth between us.

"I'm not leaving again. I can't." He took my hand and the sides of his mouth turned up when her felt the ring on my finger.

"And I'm not letting him go anywhere. He needs to be here with the Flock. We're gonna work things out."

She nodded and we heard the girls run out of the bathroom.

"There are still clothes for you guys in the spare room," she said.

"OK, I'll get the girls clothes. Fang can you get Iggy and Gazzy's?" he nodded and walked up the stairs.

"Max. are you OK, sweetie?" Mom asked softly.

"I'm OK, Mom. I have him back. We're gonna be fine, now," I told her.

"You're sure? You were torn up when Fang left, honey. I don't want to see you hurt again…"

"I love him, Mom. He won't leave again." She nodded and kissed my forehead.

"Goodnight, Max."

I walked up the stairs and took out some clothes for the girls. I walked back across the hall and knocked on the door before walking in. "Here guys, Mom had some clothes for us." They took the clothes and started to get dressed. Nudge sat down on the bed and pulled her socks on.

"Are we sleeping in here, Max? Are you staying in here with us?"

"Yeah, you guys are in here. Gazzy and Iggy are gonna be in sleeping bags on the floor, and me and Fang will be on the couches downstairs. OK?"

Angel jumped up into the bed next to her and I covered her up. "Night, love you," I said as I walked back out into the hall. I turned aound.

"Where are the sleeping bags?" Iggy asked walking down the hall.

"They're already in the room, Ig. Night," I patted his arm as he walked into the bedroom. Gazzy came running down the hall and skidded to a stop in front of me.

"Night, Max!" he said happily. I leaned down and kissed his head.

"Night Gasser."

I knocked on my mom's bedroom door and then walked in. "Can I use your shower now?"

She laughed and nodded. "You need it." I grinned and moved into the bathroom. I turned on the hot water and got in, sighing as the water released the tension in my muscles. 10 minutes later I walked out of the bathroom in a tanktop and pajama pants that my mom had lent me. I moved quietly out of the room when I realized that she was sleeping. Closing the door softly I turned to see Fang walking out of the kids room.

"They're out. You wanna watch some TV before we go to sleep?" I nodded and followed him down to the front room.

"Your mom was busy," he said moving the stack of blankets and pillows onto the floor. He grabbed the remote off the table and sat down. I picked a blanket up off the ground and pulled it over us as I sat down next to him.

"I missed you, Max," he said as he put an arm around me.

"I missed you, too. I'm glad you came back…"

"I couldn't have stayed away for 20 years, Max."

I laid my head on his shoulder. Next thing I know I'm being nudged awake and the sun is shining in through the curtains.

"Hmmm. Five more minutes," I muttered snuggling into the pillow I was leaning on.

"Up, come on, it's 10:20. We need to get to the store soon. Max! Fang! Time to get up, kids." I sat up slowly and looked around. Fang was doing the same thing, I noticed. We stood up and walked into the kitchen.

Mom was standing I the kitchen putting away dishes. "Hey, Mom…" She looked over at us with a smile on her face.

"How long did you stay up watching TV?"

"Not that long. We must've passed out…"

She laughed, "OK, well go get dressed. You all need new clothes and hair-cuts. So we'll leave when you two are ready."

Yeah, and you all know what I was thinking, right? _Yay, shopping…._


	5. Chapter 5

**Max P.O.V.**

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate shopping? No? Well, if the fate of the human race relied on me taking an entire day to shop, I would probably stay curled up in bed. OK, maybe if the human race depended on it I would shop… but today? Last time I checked the human race was secure and yet I have to go shopping with my mom, Ella, and the Flock.

All.

Freaking.

Day.

This is like my personal version of hell. So right now, I'm sitting in the back of my mom's van squashed between Iggy and unfortunately Fang. I haven't said a word to him since we woke up this morning. I missed him and I was still in love with him, but now the fact that he's back and that he left again is starting to catch up… Now I'm asking myself a question I never thought I'd have to ask.

Can I trust Fang?

I love Fang more than everything and anything in the world, but now I don't know how I'm supposed to trust him. I know he doesn't get why I'm not talking to him, but I just can't make myself talk to him right now. I need time to think about everything that's between us.

"Max!" I shook my head and looked up.

"Yeah Mom?"

"Where do you want to go first?" she asked pulling into the parking lot.

"I don't care… Let the kids decide." I looked down at my lap again.

_ Get a hold of yourself Max! Focus already. You either want him here or you don't…_

My mom parked the car and we all got out. I quickly walked over to Nudge and Ella.

"Hey Fang, can we talk, dude?" I turned to see Iggy and Fang slowing down slightly.

"We'll be in in a minute, guys," Iggy said.

"Watch yourselves," I said turning around to look at them. They nodded and I turned back around.

**Fang P.O.V.**

"What's up, man?" I asked squinting my eyes to look at him.

He brought his fist up quickly and punched me in the jaw. "What the hell!" I yelled jumping back.

"Do you have any idea what you did to freaking Max when you left, you ass-hole? I had to force her to eat every day, to sleep, to get out of bed. I had to sit there knowing there was nothing I could do to make her stop hurting, Fang. She was a freaking mess, and now, in case you hadn't noticed, she doesn't know who to trust. None of us even know you anymore Fang."

I looked down rubbing my jaw. "Leaving wasn't easy, Ig. And I had that punch coming."

"At least you had a choice in the matter Fang. We didn't."

I nodded at him. "I know, and I regretted leaving the second I left. I thought I was protecting you guys…"

"Fang, that excuse only works for so long. You hurt our family again, and you'll get worse than a bruised jaw. Let's go in before Max comes out here. By the way, you should talk to her. There's a reason she's been so quiet."

We walked inside where Max and Gazzy were standing.

"We split into groups… Mom has the girls and Dylan, and we're going to meet up for lunch." She was looking anywhere but at me.

"Max, can we talk?" I looked at her. "Please?" She nodded slightly.

"Guys, go on ahead, to target or something, call the cell and let me know where you are. OK?" she nodded at Iggy and Gazzy and watched them walk away. I looked down.

"You're wearing your ring.." I stated.

She nodded. "Yeah, so what do you want to talk to me about?" She paused outside a book store.

"I know why you don't want to talk to me Max… I know you don't think that you can trust me anymore, but you can. I hate that I hurt you so badly, and when I left I wasn't thinking about what you were going to think or do. I wish I had thought about that before."

"Fang, I know I asked you to come back. I'm glad you did. But I just don't know how to trust you anymore, not right now. You were the one person I never had to worry about, and now…." She shook her head letting her sentence drift off.

I placed a hand on her cheek and leaned forward slightly. "I'm sorry, can you please try to see where I was coming from, and try and trust me again?"

She nodded slightly. "No promises though. You're an ass."

"But…."

"But I still want you around, and if you ever do that shit to me again, I swear to god I'll kill you myself."

I nodded once. "Fair enough… And on that happy note, time to shop, Max…"

She groaned. "Ughh…"


End file.
